CHILE (2015)

Travelling around

There was alot of walking. Sometimes in the rain as in Puerto Montt where for a brief moment I was in the lead!

There were frequent trips to bus stations; which were normally much busier than the appearance in the photo. Ancud has three bus stations and one day Neil took us to all of them (one of his hobbies I believe).

On one bus journey two “musicians” kingly got on to entertain us. Our Spanish was so “good” that we still don’t know if they were from Chile or Mexico, but we now have a CD!

On some bus journeys (here to the island of Chiloe) you get to go on a big ferry

Not all boats were as big (or sea-worthy) as the car ferries

Houses

Chile has alot of wooden house and some of on stilts as here in Castro

They are so lovely here’s another photo.

Many of the houses are painted in slightly “crazy” styles

Some houses are just a little bit “crazy”

Churches

Even the churches are wooden (especially on Chiloe)

Some are painted yellow

Some are painted white

Rivers

Beautiful (but if you are thinking what I was thinking, too shallow)

Beautiful, too shallow but what’s that in the distance?

Beaches

A sandy beach, with clear water and blue skies, but what could spoil this?

NOoooooo!

Yeessss!!

But what’s that white structure on the beach?

Gosh, a lifeguard is on duty on this deserted beach

Hang on that’s not a “real” lifeguard………..

Nooooo!

Sea cliffs

This is Chile (well Chiloe), honest, even if it does look a bit like Pembrokeshire or Devon

And what’s this chap pointing at?

Penguins

Yes Chiloe is famous for its Penguins. You get a boat to see them (no swimming allowed- even to the boat)

Infact to get to the boat you are forced to travel in some kind of Victoria era swimming trolley. The humiliation.

And despite mentioning that I was a Swim the Door veteran you are forced to wear an orange vest of some kind

But at least we will get to see Pingu and friends. I think.

Can anyone actually see them?

Hang on, I’m taking this photo into the sun. Can you see them?

Gosh they seem very small, I thought they would be human sized?

Oh, here are the human-sized Penguins. It was all worthwhile afterall

Other animals

Chile is awash with wildlife. Here are some sea birds

Some are quite shy (as I think this photo of a seal demonstrates quite well)

Some are easy to get photo of (because they are paintings on gallery walls)

Or painted on outside walls

This photo of a whale proved more challenging because, although I believe it was dead, they are very big mammals you know!

Accommodation

When Neil, after viewing our accommodation, asked me if I was still scared of heights I assumed it was going to be a bunk bed

But infact it was a room in the attic!

It turned out to be an excellent attic room

With an excellent view of the sea.

Ice Cream

Chile, like Argentina, is a great place if you like Ice Cream. For reasons best known to himself when we had our daily Ice Cream Neil would never allow himself to be in the photo. I’m unclear if he had suddenly got camera shy (or for some reason didn’t want his partner Sue to find out how the training for their multiple Patagonia trecks was going. You decide?

Wild swimming

Chile, like Argentina, also has lakes which looked great for swimming although sometimes the signage was a bit off-putting

CHILE AND ARGENTINA WILD SWIM TO BE ADDED TO THE “NEW SWIMS” PAGE SOON

Durdle Door is a natural sea arch in Dorset. Every year a party of like-minded individual get together for the weekend to swim through this impressive place. This year's dates are likely to be 8th - 10th June 2018.